the lesser bourgeoisie-第25节

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man　and　he'll　paddle　in　the　slimiest　puddle；　he　is　hooking　that　little
Pron；　and　Pron　is　taking　it　all　in；　solely　to　get　your　little　Celeste
for　Felix　Phellion。　Separate　them；　and　in　ten　minutes　they'll　get
together　again；　and　that　young　Minard　will　be　growling　round　them　like
an　angry　bulldog。〃

Felix；　still　under　the　strong　emotion　imparted　to　him　by　Celeste's
generous　action　and　the　cry　that　came　from　the　girl's　heart；　though　no
one　but　Madame　Thuillier　still　thought　of　it；　became　inspired　by　one
of　those　ingenuous　artfulnesses　which　are　the　honest　charlatanism　of
true　love；　but　he　was　not　to　the　manner　born　of　it；　and　mathematics；
moreover；　made　him　somewhat　absent…minded。　He　stationed　himself　near
Madame　Thuillier；　imagining　that　Madame　Thuillier　would　attract
Celeste　to　her　side。　This　astute　calculation　succeeded　all　the　better
because　young　Minard；　who　saw　in　Celeste　nothing　more　than　a　〃dot；〃
had　no　such　sudden　inspiration；　and　was　drinking　his　coffee　and
talking　politics　with　Laudigeois；　Monsieur　Barniol；　and　Dutocq　by
order　of　his　father；　who　was　thinking　and　planning　for　the　general
election　of　the　legislature　in　1842。

〃Who　wouldn't　love　Celeste？〃　said　Felix　to　Madame　Thuillier。

〃Little　darling；　no　one　in　the　world　loves　me　as　she　does；〃　replied
the　poor　slave；　with　difficulty　restraining　her　tears。

〃Ah！　madame；　we　both　love　you；〃　said　the　candid　professor；　sincerely。

〃What　are　you　saying　to　each　other？〃　asked　Celeste；　coming　up。

〃My　child；〃　said　the　pious　woman；　drawing　her　god…daughter　down　to　her
and　kissing　her　on　the　forehead。　〃He　said　that　you　both　loved　me。〃

〃Do　not　be　angry　with　my　presumption；　mademoiselle。　Let　me　do　all　I
can　to　prove　it；〃　murmured　Felix。　〃Ah！　I　cannot　help　it；　I　was　made
this　way；　injustice　revolts　me　to　the　soul！　Yes；　the　Saviour　of　men
was　right　to　promise　the　future　to　the　meek　heart；　to　the　slain　lamb！
A　man　who　did　not　love　you；　Celeste；　must　have　adored　you　after　that
sublime　impulse　of　yours　at　table。　Ah；　yes！　innocence　alone　can
console　the　martyr。　You　are　a　kind　young　girl；　you　will　be　one　of
those　wives　who　make　the　glory　and　the　happiness　of　a　family。　Happy　be
he　whom　you　will　choose！〃

〃Godmamma；　with　what　eyes　do　you　think　Monsieur　Felix　sees　me？〃

〃He　appreciates　you；　my　little　angel；　I　shall　pray　to　God　for　both　of
you。〃

〃If　you　knew　how　happy　I　am　that　my　father　can　do　a　service　to
Monsieur　Thuillier；　and　how　I　wish　I　could　be　useful　to　your
brother〃

〃In　short；〃　said　Celeste；　laughing；　〃you　love　us　all。〃

〃Well；　yes；〃　replied　Felix。

True　love　wraps　itself　in　the　mysteries　of　reserve；　even　in　its
expression；　it　proves　itself　by　itself；　it　does　not　feel　the
necessity；　as　a　false　love　does；　of　lighting　a　conflagration。　By　an
observer　（if　such　a　being　could　have　glided　into　the　Thuillier　salon）
a　book　might　have　been　made　in　comparing　the　two　scenes　of　love…
making；　and　in　watching　the　enormous　preparations　of　Theodose　and　the
simplicity　of　Felix：　one　was　nature；　the　other　was　society；the　true
and　the　false　embodied。　Noticing　her　daughter　glowing　with　happiness；
exhaling　her　soul　through　the　pores　of　her　face；　and　beautiful　with
the　beauty　of　a　young　girl　gathering　the　first　roses　of　an　indirect
declaration；　Flavie　had　an　impulse　of　jealousy　in　her　heart。　She　came
across　to　Celeste　and　said　in　her　ear：

〃You　are　not　behaving　well；　my　daughter；　everybody　is　observing　you；
you　are　compromising　yourself　by　talking　so　long　to　Monsieur　Felix
without　knowing　whether　we　approve　of　it。〃

〃But；　mamma；　my　godmother　is　here。〃

〃Ah！　pardon　me；　dear　friend；〃　said　Madame　Colleville；　〃I　did　not
notice　you。〃

〃You　do　as　others　do；〃　said　the　poor　nonentity。

That　reply　stung　Madame　Colleville；　who　regarded　it　as　a　barbed　arrow。
She　cast　a　haughty　glance　at　Felix　and　said　to　Celeste；　〃Sit　there；　my
daughter；〃　seating　herself　at　the　same　time　beside　Madame　Thuillier
and　pointing　to　a　chair　on　the　other　side　of　her。

〃I　will　work　myself　to　death；〃　said　Felix　to　Madame　Thuillier。　〃I'll
be　a　member　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences；　I'll　make　some　great
discovery；　and　win　her　hand　by　force　of　fame。〃

〃Ah！〃　thought　the　poor　woman　to　herself；　〃I　ought　to　have　had　a
gentle；　peaceful；　learned　man　like　that。　I　might　have　slowly　developed
in　a　life　of　quietness。　It　was　not　thy　will；　O　God！　but；　I　pray　thee；
unite　and　bless　these　children；　they　are　made　for　one　another。〃

And　she　sat　there；　pensive；　listening　to　the　racket　made　by　her
sister…in…lawa　ten…horse　power　at　workwho　now；　lending　a　hand　to
her　two　servants；　cleared　the　table；　taking　everything　out　of　the
dining…room　to　accommodate　the　dancers；　vociferating；　like　the　captain
of　a　frigate　on　his　quarter…deck　when　taking　his　ship　into　action：
〃Have　you　plenty　of　raspberry　syrup？〃　〃Run　out　and　buy　some　more
orgeat！〃　〃There's　not　enough　glasses。　Where's　the　'eau　rougie'？　Take
those　six　bottles　of　'vin　ordinaire'　and　make　more。　Mind　that
Coffinet；　the　porter；　doesn't　get　any。〃　〃Caroline；　my　girl；　you　are　to
wait　at　the　sideboard；　you'll　have　tongue　and　ham　to　slice　in　case
they　dance　till　morning。　But　mind；　no　waste！　Keep　an　eye　on
everything。　Pass　me　the　broom；　put　more　oil　in　those　lamps；　don't　make
blunders。　Arrange　the　remains　of　the　dessert　so　as　to　make　a　show　on
the　sideboard；　ask　my　sister　to　come　and　help　us。　I'm　sure　I　don't
know　what　she's　thinking　about；　that　dawdle！　Heavens；　how　slow　she　is！
Here；　take　away　these　chairs；　they'll　want　all　the　room　they　can　get。〃

The　salon　was　full　of　Barniols；　Collevilles；　Phellions；　Laudigeois；
and　many　others　whom　the　announcement　of　a　dance　at　the　Thuilliers'；
spread　about　in　the　Luxembourg　between　two　and　four　in　the　afternoon；
the　hour　at　which　the　bourgeoisie　takes　its　walk；　had　drawn　thither。

〃Are　you　ready；　Brigitte？〃　said　Colleville；　bolting　into　the　dining…
room；　〃it　is　nine　o'clock；　and　they　are　packed　as　close　as　herrings　in
the　salon。　Cardot；　his　wife　and　son　and　daughter　and　future　son…in…law
have　just　come；　accompanied　by　that　young　Vinet；　the　whole　faubourg
Saint　Antoine　is　debouching。　Can't　we　move　the　piano　in　here？〃

Then　he　gave　the　signal；　by　tuning　his　clarionet；　the　joyous　sounds　of
which　were　greeted　with　huzzas　from　the　salon。

It　is　useless　to　describe　a　ball　of　this　kind。　The　toilets；　faces；　and
conversations　were　all　in　keeping　with　one　fact　which　will　surely
suffice　even　the　dullest　imagination；　they　passed　round；　on　tarnished
and　discolored　trays；　common　tumblers　filled　with　wine；　〃eau　rougie；〃
and　〃eau　sucree。〃　The　trays　on　which　were　glasses　of　orgeat　and
glasses　of　syrup　and　water　appeared　only　at　long　intervals。　There　were
five　card…tables　and　twenty…five　players；　and　eighteen　dancers　of　both
sexes。　At　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　all　presentMadame　Thuillier；
Mademoiselle　Brigitte；　Madame　Phellion；　even　Phellion　himselfwere
dragged　into　the　vivacities　of　a　country…dance；　vulgarly　called　〃La
Boulangere；〃　in　which　Dutocq　figured　with　a　veil　over　his　head；　after
the　manner　of　the　Kabyl。　The　servants　who　were　waiting　to　escort　their
masters　home；　and　those　of　the　household；　were　audience　to　this
performance；　and　after　the　interminable　dance　had　lasted　one　whole
hour　it　was　proposed　to　carry　Brigitte　in　triumph　when　she　gave　the
announcement　that　supper　was　served。　This　circumstance　made　her　see
the　necessity　of　hiding　a　dozen　bottles　of　old　burgundy。　In　short；　the
company　had　amused　themselves　so　well；　the　matrons　as　well　as　the
young　girls；　that　Thuillier　found　occasion　to　say：

〃Well；　well；　this　morning　we　little　thought　we　should　have　such　a　fete
to…night。〃

〃There's　never　more　pleasure；〃　said　the　notary　Cardot；　〃than　in　just
such　improvised　balls。　Don't　talk　to　me　of　parties　where　everybody
stands　on　ceremony。〃

This　opinion；　we　may　remark；　is　a　standing　axiom　among　the
bourgeoisie。

〃Well；　for　my　part；〃　said　Madame　Minard；　〃I　prefer　the　dignified　old
ways。〃

〃We　didn't　mean　that　for　you；　madame；　your　salon　is　the　chosen　haunt
of　pleasure；〃　said　Dutocq。

When　〃La　Boulangere〃　came　to　an　end；　Theodose　pulled　Dutocq　from　the
sideboard　where　he　was　preparing　to　eat　a　slice　of　tongue；　and　said　to
him：

〃Let　us　go；　we　must　be　at　Cerizet's　very　early　in　the　morning；　we
ought　both　of　us　to　think　over　that　affair；　it　is　not　so　easy　to
manage　as　Cerizet　seems　to　imagine。〃

〃Why　not？〃　asked　Dutocq；　bringing　his　slice　of　tongue　to　eat　in　the
salon。

〃Don't　you　know　the　law？〃

〃I　know　enough　of　it　to　be　aware　of　the　dangers　of　the　affair。　If　that
notary　wants　the　house　and　we　filch　it　from　him；　there　are　means　by
which　he　can　recover　it；　he　can　put　himself　into　the　skin　of　a
registered　creditor。　By　the　present　legal　system　relating　to
mortgages；　when　a　house　is　sold　at　the　request　of　creditors；　if　the
price　obtained　for　it　at　auction　is　not　enough　to　pay　all　debts；　the
owners　have　the　right　to　bid　it　in　and　hold　it　for　a　higher　sum；　now
the　notary；　seeing　himself　caught；　may　back　out　of　the　sale　in　that
way。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃it　needs　attention。〃

〃Very　good；〃　replied　Dutocq；　〃we'll　go　and　see　Cerizet。〃

These　words；　〃go　and　see　Cerizet；〃　were　overheard　by　Minard；　who　was
following　the　two　associates；